The
U.S. Sanctions Venezuela for Aiding Iran and its Nuclear Ambitions; Venezuelan Responses

"Finally, Hugo Chavez is being held accountable
for his reckless efforts to aid and abet Iran's illegal pursuit of a nuclear capability and evasion of international sanctions.
[Last] week, the Obama administration announced it was imposing sanctions on Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA
and the Venezuelan Military Industries Company CAVIM for their illicit dealings with Iran. The sanctions are admittedly minimal,
but one hopes they signal a new vigor on the part of the administration towards further exposing and countering the nefarious
Venezuelan-Iran axis." (Hugo Chávez in the U.S. Crosshairs, Foreign Policy, May 27, 2011)

In response to the aforementioned U.S. sanctions, on May 24 the Press Office of the Venezuelan Embassy to the U.S., in Washington, D.C., disseminated
the "Statement" below to the milquetoast U.S. actions.

As well, an interesting rebuttal — owing to
a request by MexiData.info — to the government's assertion, by Venezuelan analyst and commentator Alek Boyd, follows
this Chávez administration statement.

"Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

"Ministry of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs

"Statement

"Venezuela Rejects U.S. Sanctions against PDVSA

"The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
has learned of the decision announced by the Department of State of the United States to impose sanctions against our national
oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), as part of a unilateral law targeting the Islamic Republic of Iran known as CISADA.

"The Bolivarian Government expresses its strongest
rejection to this decision since it constitutes a hostile action on the fringes of international law that violates the principles
of the Charter of the United Nations.

"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and its revolution
have a strong, independent and sovereign oil industry able to operate and permanently fulfill its commitments. Faced with
this aggression, Venezuela further ratifies its oil independence and sovereignty.

"The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
is undertaking a general assessment of the situation to determine how these sanctions affect the operational capacity of our
oil industry and, therefore, the supply of 1.2 million barrels of oil per day to the U.S. Pending this assessment, the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela reserves itself the most adequate answer to this imperialist aggression.

"The revolutionary Government calls on all the Venezuelan
people, laborers and especially the oil workers, to stay alert and mobilized in defense of our PDVSA and the sacred sovereignty
of the homeland.

"Therefore, the Embassy's argument — 'The
Bolivarian Government expresses its strongest rejection to this decision since it constitutes a hostile action on the fringes
of international law that violates the principles of the Charter of the United Nations' — is as preposterous as it gets.

"However, it is perfectly in line with the Chavez
policy of flatly denying any connection to rogues and terrorist organizations, as they have done on countless other occasions
when evidence of aiding and abetting members of ETA and FARC have surfaced. The fact is that Chavez keeps getting caught violating
UN resolutions.

"The partnership between PDVSA and Petropars was
published in the official gazette (do follow the links), which makes it official. As per Petropars, and who is behind it,
anyone with an Internet connection can find out that its owners have close connections to the Iranian regime."

(Alek Boyd has worked as an independent researcher, reporter, lobbyist, civil and political rights activist,
and he has experience in strategic and media consulting throughout Latin America.)